The three-year initiative has had an impact on approximately 8,000
Nursing and Allied Health
students in the following
targeted degree programs:
Nursing, Radiological Technology,
Respiratory Therapy, Medical
Assisting, and Physical Therapist
Assisting. The grant has
provided curriculum enhancements
and instructional support
that have improved student
retention and success, enhanced
academic and career support
systems, enhanced marketing
to high schools and workforce
investment boards’ One
Stop centers, developed a
systemwide allied health
certificate, and increased
online instructional capacity.
Partnerships: CBJTG in Nursing and
Allied Health
Key Partnerships >
The goals of the grant are being supplemented
by significant commitments
from the Community Colleges’ health care industry
partnerships that are providing
clinical sites, classroom
laboratory space, internships,
faculty, and expert guidance
and expertise. The leveraged
value of the hospital and
health care partner contributions
to enhancing the nursing
and allied health programs
is over $2.9 million.
Additional key partnerships
include Office for Workforce
Competitiveness, Connecticut
Business and Industry Association,
Connecticut Workforce Development
Council, and the Connecticut
Department of Labor.
A no-cost extension will allow services to continue through December
31, 2009.
The 12 Connecticut Community Colleges received a second
$2.1 million dollar Community-Based
Job Training Grant (CBJTG)
from the U.S. Department of Labor for the
Bridges to Health Careers
Initiative on January 1,
2007.
The three-year initiative will have an impact on an estimated
2,752 students participating in
allied health continuing
education certificates over
the course of the grant.
More than 1,000 students
have participated in capacity
building activities to date. Targeted programs include:
Certified Nurse Aid, Emergency
Medical Technician, EKG Technician,
Phlebotomy Technician, Pharmacy
Technician, Medical Coding & Billing
Specialist, Patient Care
Technician, and Dental Assistant.
This project builds on the
Career Pathways Initiative
in Nursing and Allied Health
by including capacity-building
efforts within the Connecticut
Community College System’s
certificate programs. The
initiative targets educationally
underserved “non-traditional” students
and will increase completion
rates in allied health certificate
programs and open pathways
to degrees and higher wage
jobs.
The grant program has established the virtual online Health Care
Career Academy as a replicable
model to build institutional
capacity, support the academic
achievement of non-traditional
students and bridge gaps
between short-term certificate
and longer-term degree programs.
Grant funds provide tuition assistance,
and academic and social/emotional
support to non-traditional
students entering allied
health certificate programs,
and support innovative and
proven best practices that
promote success in educational
and workforce settings.
Partnerships: CBJTG for Bridges to
Health Careers Initiative
The goals of the grant are supplemented by significant commitments
from the Community Colleges’
health care industry partnerships
that are providing clinical
sites, technology, clinical
simulations, internships,
faculty, expert guidance
and expertise. The leveraged
value of hospital, health
care, and other partner contributions
to support the Bridges to
Health Careers Initiative
is over $6 million.
Additional key partnerships include the Office for Workforce Competitiveness,
the Connecticut Business
and Industry Association, the Connecticut Workforce Development
Council, Connecticut Department of Labor, 1199 Training Fund, Connecticut
Women’s Education and Legal
Fund, Connecticut League
for Nursing, Connecticut
Office of Rural Health Programs, and Eastern CT Area Health Education
Center (AHEC).
